Travelling can be an uncomfortable event in mass transportation systems designed for optimum passenger volume and not particularly with passenger comfort in mind. It is well recognized among regular passengers on commercial carriers that it is often difficult to relax in the seats provided. In particular, economy class seating on aircraft and buses typically provides closely-spaced forward-facing seats in rows separated by a very small space. These seats severely restrict the passenger's movement out of the sitting position, causing fatigue and discomfort during the journey.
A common feature of economy class seating is the fold-down tray table presented to the passenger by the back of the seat in front. Passengers have been known to seek relief from the discomfort of their seats by leaning forward and resting their heads on a conventional pillow placed on the tray table in front. This practice does not always give the passenger the relief sought, however, especially when the pillow is too small to fit conveniently on the tray table, or when the pillow is too soft to prevent the passenger from feeling the tray table through the pillow.
Although pillows on which the user may lean forward and rest the head are known in the art, the present invention is distinguishable from previous designs suggesting this application. Kertz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,621, for example, discloses a steering wheel attachment that provides a foam pad pillow on which drivers may rest the arms and head. Another design variation is disclosed in Sparks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,472, which is directed to a multi-purpose resting and storage device of modular construction that may also be placed in the lap of a sitting person to provide support for the chin. In yet another variation, Wagner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,472, is directed to a solid pillow, disclosing three flexibly-connected segments that fold together.
For reasons stated above, and for other reasons which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present specification, there is a need for systems and methods that provide for ease of rest during travel. There is a particular need for a collapsible head cradle. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and addresses deficiencies in known systems and techniques.